ABSTRACT
Among the perennials, bamboo can particularly be a powerful tool in carbon farming and rural livelihoods. Bamboos belong to the grass family, but they have a tree-like growth habit. This chapter provides a synthesis of the state of the bamboo resource, their diversity, and the potential for carbon farming. The Olyreae or herbaceous bamboos consist of 124 species in 22 genera and are native to tropical Asia, with the exception of the genus Eremitis. Bamboos often form dense stands with their culms being connected by an extensive rhizome and root systems. Based on their growth habits, bamboos can be categorized into two groups: monopodial and sympodial. The rhizome system of bamboos survives selective harvesting of individual culms as the harvested biomass is usually replaced by new culms within a year. Bamboos are characterized by monocarpy; a phenomenon in which the plant flowers once in its lifetime, and then the whole stand dies.
